Water tank flush valve



May 22, 1956 O. J. BENNETT WATER TANK FLUSH VALVE Filed May 16, 1955 INVENTOR.

Orvan J. Bennett BY WHITEHEAD, VOGL a LOWE PER ATTORNEYS United Stat WATER TANK FLUSH VALVE Orvan 3. Bennett, Lupton, Colo.

Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,671

7 Claims. (Cl. 4-67) This invention relates to toilet water tanks and more particularly to the flush valves therefor, it being a primary object of the invention to provide a novel and improved flush valve for a toilet water tank.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved flush valve for a toilet water tank which: (a) incorporates in its construction a spherical valve body which may accurately seat for a closure at any of a plurality of positions and thereby give a maximum service life by avoiding undue wear at any particular seating position; (b) incorporates in combination with a spherical valve body a simplified operative mechanism for lifting the body which is adapted to hold it in position and in operative alignment over the valve seat throughout a flushing operation where the tank is drained and refilled; (c) uses a simple, spherical valve body having a selected Weight and density in combination with a simpli fied resilient lifting mechanism adapted to hold the valve body in operative alignment over the valve seat without the need of special guides and controls; (d) assures a long period of trouble-free operation by eliminating conventional guides and alignment means in the lifting mechanism; and (e) is exceedingly simple in construction and adapted for use with any conventional type of toilet water tank, and provides a low-cost, neat and durable element.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel and improved constructions and combinations of parts and elements as hereinafter described, and as defined in the appended claims and illustrated in preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a toilet water tank and bowl connected thereto, with portions of the tank roken away to show constructions otherwise hidden from View.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation View of the tank, as taken on the indicated line 22 at Fig. l but on an enlarged scale and showing the tank filled with water, as preliminary to a flushing operation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail as viewed from the indicated line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail on a further enlarged scale and with portions being broken away to conserve space.

Figures 5 through 8, inclusive, are sectional elevations, similar to portions of Fig. 2 but diagrammatic in nature and illustrating the use of the invention during the various phases of the tank flushing operation.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail similar to Fig. 3 but showing an alternative construction thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my improved valve is adapted to be installed in an ordinary rectangular toilet water tank 10, the tank being placed behind and above the bowl 11 and connected thereto by a discharge pipe 12. The pipe 12 extends from the bottom of the tank to the bowl, all in conventional 2,746,061 Patented May 22, 1956 ice manner. Further conventional mechanisms required for the operation of the tank include a water intake line 13 which may extend upwardly into the tank to terminate at a check valve 14 which is operatively closed by a float 15 extending therefrom upon an arm 16.

The discharge pipe 12 extends upwardly through the bottom of the tank to terminate as an annular seat 17 at its intake, the intake being a sufiicient distance above the bottom of the tank to provide clearance for a narrow passage to an overflow pipe 18 which upstands from the bottom of the tank at one side of the discharge pipe 12.

The improved flush valve, as hereinafter described, comprises a body which is adapted to rest upon the seat 17 when closed and to be lifted from the seat in opening by the upward movement of a lever arm 19 near the top of the tank which is so moved by the manipulation of a handle 20 at the exterior of the tank, all in a conventional manner. To be adapted for my invention, this lever 19 is positioned directly above the annular seat 17, and includes a connecting orifice 21 near its end which is substantially aligned with the vertical axis of the annular seat.

The flush valve is formed as a smooth surfaced spherical body 22 of resilient material and which is of sufficient diameter to rest upon the seat 17 to close the tank, without the water pressure thereabove causing the body to stick in the seat. To provide for necessary rigidity and weight, this body 22 is preferably made of sponge rubber or the like.

This body is connected to and suspended from lever arm w by a strap 23 having a connective link 2 at its top, which is threaded into the orifice 21 in the lever arm 19. The strap 23 also includes a connective hook 25 at its bottom which extends into and is embedded in the body 22, all as clearly illustrated at Figs. 3 and 4.

To provide for operation of the unit, as hereinafter described, the strap 23 is of flexible but non-elastic material, and is thereby incapable of being tretched any substantial amount. It may be formed of a suitable plastic material or it may be a metal ribbon or the like. The length of the strap is such that it is substantially extended with the lever arm 19 lowered and the body 22 seated on seat 17 therebelow. When the lever arm is moved upwardly as by manipulation of the handle 20, the strap 23 lifts the body 22 from its seat to commence a flushing operation.

An elastic band 26 is attached to this strap 23 at a point near the bottom of the strap and at a point in the upper portion of the strap, as by rivets 27. This band 26 is adapted to be stretched and is under tension when the strap is fully extended as with the body 22 on the seat 17 closing the valve, so that when the pull on the strap is relaxed, the strap will double up and the distance between the lever arm and body 22 will be shortened by contraction of the elastic band.

The spherical body 22 is formed of a material such as sponge rubber to give it a balanced, selected weight which is sufiiciently heavy to pull the strap 23 to its full straight length and stretch the band 26 whenever the body 22 is out of the water or whenever the body is on the seat 17 closing the valve with the water pressure above it holding it against the seat. However, this weight is much less when the body is submerged in the water under substantially balanced pressure and the body is then not heavy enough to straighten out the strap, and the pull of the band will lift the body and cause it to float. After the body is lifted away from the seat 17, as at the start of a flushing operation, it is then submerged under substantially balanced pressures and the pull of the band is sufiicient to pull the body upwardly to float at the water surface. Such action thereby keeps a constant tension on the body during the flushing operation, and does not permit the body to wander about in the tank while floating, but to remain substantially in a centered position above the seat.

The flushing and filling cycle of operation is illustrated in detail at Figs. to 8 inclusive, with Fig. 5 representing the initial condition of the valve closed and with the tank full of water preparatory to the flushing operation. To commence the flushing, the lever arm 19 i moved upwardly to raise the body 22 from its seat as illustrated at Fig. 6. The elastic band 26 then contracts to double up the strap 23 and bring the body to the surface of the water asillustrated at Fig. 7'. As the tank is drained, the water level drops, pulling the body downwardly with it and constantly increasing the tension of the band 26 in such downward movement whereby the body is held directly over the seat 17, and as the body approaches the seat the movement of water pulls it onto the seat to close the valve and permit the tank to refill from the line 13.

As the body lowers, the flow of the water through the discharge pipe 12 causes erratic movements and disturbances on the water surface Within the tank which tend to induce small lateral movements upon the body as it is floating above the seat 17; however, such movements, which tend to wear out guides and cause sticking and trouble in conventional valve units, are of no consequence because the body will eventually reach the seat and at that point all movement will cease with the body remaining seated at whatever position it assumes in its movement to the seat. This factor permits the body to rest upon the seat 17 in many different positions and such provides for minimum wear and a maximum useful life.

The modified form of the invention illustrated at Fig. 9 provides for a connective cord 23 which is flexible but non-extendible, the same as strap 23 and this cord 23' is embraced in a coil spring 26'. The tension and elasticity of this spring is of the same quantity as that of the band 26 hereinbefore described, being insuflicient to shorten the cord 23' with the body suspended in an empty tank, but being of sufiicient tension to Shorten the cord and float the body with the tank full of water after the body is lifted from its seat.

It follows that those skilled in the art can devise and construct alternate and equivalent units which are within the spirit and scope of my invention and hence it follows that my protection should be limited only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A flush valve for a toilet water tank having a dis-- charge pipe from its bottom with the upper rim of the pipe terminating as an annular seat within the tank and near the bottom thereof and having a lifting lever over the seat within the tank a substantial distance above the seat, comprising in combination therewith, a body adapted to be positioned upon the seat for closure of the discharge pipe, a pliable but nonstretchable cord interconnecting the body and lever whereto lift the body from the seat responsive to upward movement of the lever, and an elastic member interconnecting a lower reach of the cord,

said member being stretched within the reach, with the cord extended with a tension of said member being less than the weight of the body and adapted to permit the cord to be extended by the weight of the body, but being sufiicient to double up the cord between the reach, with the body submerged under substantially balanced pressure.

2. The valve defined in claim 1, wherein said body is spherical irl form.

3. The valve defined in claim 1, wherein said body is formed as a smooth-surfaced sphere with the density and rigidity thereof characteristic of a sponge-rubber ball.

4. The valve defined in claim 1, wherein said cord is a strap and the elastic member is an elastic band attached to the cord.

5. The valve defined in claim 1, wherein said elastic member is a spring embracing the cord.

6. In combination with a toilet water tank having a discharge pipe from its bottom with the lower rim of the pipe terminating as an annular seat within the tank near the bottom hereof, a lifting lever over the seat within the tank and near the top thereof, a flush valve including a spherical smooth-surfaced body adapted to be positioned upon said seat for closure of the discharge pipe, a pliable, non-stretchable cord interconnecting the body and lift lever and having a length sufiicient to permit the body to rest upon the seat with the lever lowered but to be lifted from the seat by the raising of the lift lever, and an elastic member interconnecting a substantial reach of the cord in the lower portion thereof, near the body, said elastic member being stretched within the reach with the cord extended, the tension of said member so stretched, being such as to permit the cord to be extended to its full length by the weight of the body but to double up the cord between the reach with the body submerged in water.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, wherein said reach is sufficient to pull the body a substantial distance above the seat when the body is lifted to commence a flushing operation whereby to avoid interference of the body with the flow of water into the discharge pipe until the tank is substantially drained.

No references cited. 

